The magnitude and speed of China's transformation in the 1990s is staggering. It is all the more remarkable when the size and diversity of its population and land mass are taken into account. The real test, however, will be the ability to balance change with stability, to meet the dilemmas of its economic strategy, to establish the legitimacy and effectiveness of its political institutions, to transfer power to a new generation of leaders, and to meet the challenges of international trade and politics.

China in the 1990s provides a comprehensive survey of a nation in transition. An understanding of this complex process requires a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach, which the editors have achieved by bringing together experts from Britain, the United States, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong and Denmark who examine China's economic, political, military, cultural and social achievements and difficulties.